Urology Flashcards
What are renal tract calculi?
Renal tract calculi/renal stones/urolithiasis are hard masses that form in the urinary tract.
How common are renal tract calculi?
Very common - affect 2-3% of population
Pathophysiology of renal stones?
Over-saturation of urine with certain products.
What are the 4 renal stone types?
- Calcium oxalate & calcium phosphate
- Struvite
- Urate
- Cystine
What are struvite stones formed of?
Magnesium, ammonium and phosphate
What type of renal stone is the most common?
Calcium (80%)
What is the cause of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate renal stones?
Dietary factors (high purine, high Na, low K), high doses of vitamin D, intestinal bypass surgery and several metabolic disorders can increase the concentration of calcium or oxalate in urine.
Calcium phosphate stones are more common in metabolic conditions, such as renal tubular acidosis.
Describe the appearance of calcium stones on an xray
Spiky, smooth, opaque
What is the most common metabolic abnormality?
Hypercalciuria
Give some risk factors for renal stones
- Low fluid intake
- Urinary tract malformations e.g. horseshoe kidney
- UTIs
- Cystinuria (congenital)
- Hypercalciuria (most common metabolic abnormality)
- Hyperoxaluria
Give some causes of hypercalciuria
- High sodium intake
- 1ary hyperparathyroidism
- Hypervitaminosis D
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Sarcoidosis
- Milk-alkali syndrome
What is the most common presenting feature of renal stones?
Ureteric colic pain (when stone has passed from kidney to ureters).
What causes ureteric colic pain in renal stones?
Caused by increased peristalsis around the site of obstruction
How does ureteric colic pain present?
Sudden onset, severe and radiates from ‘loin to groin’.
Where may the patient be tender on examination in renal stones?
Tender in the flank region
Haematuria, nausea & vomiting may also be present in renal stones. Is the haematuria visible or microscopic?
90% microscopic
There are 3 naturally narrow parts of the ureter. What are they?
- Pelvicoureteric junction (PUJ) → Where the renal pelvis becomes the ureter
- Crossing the pelvic brim → Iliac vessels cross the ureters
- Vesicoureteric junction (VUJ) → where the ureters enter the bladder
What must you rule out if a male >65 presents with abdominal/flank pain?
AAA
What is the triad of symptoms in an AAA?
Hypotension, syncope and back pain
Give some differentials for renal stone presentation
- AAA
- Gallstones
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Pyelonephritis
- Renal infarcts
- Hydronephrosis
- Renal tract malignancy
- MSK
- Shingles
Can use Vitamin D surgical sieve:
Vascular – AAA, renal artery, vein thrombus, mesenteric ischaemia
Infective/Inflammatory – pyelonephritis, colitis, shingles
Trauma – muscle pain, splenic rupture
Autoimmune
Metabolic/Endocrine – renal stones
Iatrogenic/Idiopathic
Neoplasm – renal cancer, bowel cancer
Degenerative – osteoarthritis
What bedside investigations would you perform in suspected renal stones?
- Urinalysis
- Obs
- Pregnancy test (women)
- ECG (rule out cardiac)
- Bedside USS (FAST)
- Glucose
What bloods would you request in suspected renal stones?
- FBC
- U&Es
- LFTs
- CRP
- Renal specific:
- Bone profile
- Magnesium
- Urate
- Thinking AAA:
- Clotting
- G&S/crossmatch
What is the 1st line imaging tool in suspected renal stones (not including women <40)?
CT KUB (no contrast)
Likely blood test results in renal stones:
CT KUP scan showing right sided hydronephrosis
Likely urine dip in renal stones:
Abdominal XR of renal stone and staghorn calculi
What is the cause of struvite renal stones?
UTIs → ammonia produced as waste product by bacteria can make urine more alkaline, leading to struvite stones (proteus → urate producing)
How do struvite stones appear on x-rays?
Staghorn calcifications, radio-opaque
Which type of renal stones appear in a ‘staghorn’ shape on x-rays?
Struvite
What is the least common type of renal stone?
Cystine
What is the cause of urate renal stones?
Hyperuricaemia e.g. diet rich in purine, alcohol, gout, CKD
How do urate renal stones appear on x-rays?
Smooth, brown, radiolucent
Cause of cystine renal stones?
Renal tubular defects
How do cystine renal stones appear on x-rays?
Yellow, semi-opaque